5 steps to start getting social in your Ministry

Being on social media in your church is no longer an issue of should we get on it. It is now about how do you get started so that you can be even more effective in your ministry.

So, how do you get started on social media? What are some first initial steps to take? Here are 5 beginning steps.

1. Find a point person.  This could be anyone…especially that someone who loves their iPhone.  Student Ministers are ideal for this because they are on all sorts of social media now with students and they understand better than most on how to interact online better.  But it doesn’t have to be just him/her.  It can really be anyone who is good with technology and loves one or more of these social networks. What you need here is a point person that can help spearhead this initiative to get your ministry on social media.
2. Get on the basic social accounts.  Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are the key social media accounts to be on.  Those are great social networks to be on with lots of conversations happening on them.  But if you really want to know which social media accounts to be first, you have to find out which ones your congregation are on. You can do this by doing a survey or poll at church.  Once you can identify which accounts they are on, get on them as soon as possible.
3. Create content. This is simply posting engaging images and messages where you are encouraging others. These could be Bible verses, notes from a sermon, a worship song, devotional or some behind-the-scenes stuff that is happening in your ministry that gives people a glimpse of what goes on.  What is important is to create content on a consistent basis and stick to it.  There is nothing much worse on social media to start posting constantly and then become inconsistent at it. To know how to create engaging images try using apps like Word Swag or creating videos to share.
4. Engage in the conversation.  When you get into social media, posting can be easy.  But when you post it can become just a one sided conversation.  You share and that’s it.  Instead of just posting about your stuff, seek to engage as well.  How do you do that? By interacting with others who are you “friends” or “followers” on these social media accounts. You can do that by checking what they are posting and interacting with them.  But you can also search hashtags.  Check certain hashtags of topics you are looking to engage people with.  For example, if you are looking for fitness tips so you can talk about ultimate health found in Christ, search #fitness.  If you want to invite people to a Christmas Eve service at your church search #christmas or #christmaseve.  Searching through hashtags can be a great way to meet new friends and gain more followers.
5. Share information. Being effective in social media also means to share information about what is going on with our ministry. After all, social media has become a very effective tool to share important information about what is happening in your ministry.  So, gather information you need to share via social media and share it.  Don’t make it the only stuff you share (as creating content, content curation and engaging with others is even more important than this), but share away.

Five easy steps to start getting social in your ministry.

What do you think? How did you get started in social media for your ministry? Share your insights below or on social media using the hashtag #ymsidekick. 

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